Meta rolls out Valentine’s Day features on Instagram and Edits app with themed fonts, secret animations, chat themes

Meta Platforms has introduced a slate of limited-edition Valentine’s Day features across Instagram and its video-editing app, Edits.

The update, available from February 12 to 16, adds themed tools across Stories, Reels and direct messages, with a strong emphasis on custom expression and interactive elements.

Valentine’s fonts, animations and hidden triggers

Instagram users will see new Valentine’s-themed fonts and animated text effects in the Stories and Reels editors, enabling festive captions and overlays.

The platform is also introducing interactive “Easter eggs.” Commenting on Stories with certain secret phrases unlocks hidden animations and visual themes. Similar triggers have been added to Instagram Notes, where hint text guides users toward discovering the effects.

Stickers, frames and mentions

Visual personalisation is another major focus of the update. New Photo Sticker Frames allow users to surround selfies and shared moments with heart-inspired borders in Stories.

Instagram has also added a Custom Story Mention sticker, designed to tag partners, friends or “Galentine’s” groups with a special celebratory effect.

To extend the theme across conversations, a dedicated Valentine’s Day chat theme is now available for direct messages in both light and dark modes.

Edits app gets permanent creator tools

While Instagram’s festive features are temporary, Meta’s Edits app, used for creating short-form videos, is receiving several permanent additions.

These include romantic sound effects such as harp music and heartbeat sounds, along with new Valentine’s-style fonts and text presets that creators can continue using beyond the holiday period.

A notable new feature is enhanced speed control, allowing users to accelerate video clips by up to 100 times, enabling dramatic or high-energy visual effects.

Seasonal feature drops have become a common strategy for social media platforms to drive engagement and user activity around cultural moments and holidays. By combining temporary aesthetic updates with lasting creator tools, Meta appears to be targeting both casual users and content creators.